^^,^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-S) 


A 


1.0 


1.1 


■u 
u 


Ufi    12.0 

^      ii 
1^  i^  ^ 


PhotDgmpbic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


L-C^ 


iV 


^ 


O 


^" 


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23  WIST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MStO 

(716)  •72-4503 


6^ 


: 


,F 


#:-%;' 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series, 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microraproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notas  tachniquas  at  bibliographiquaa 


Tha  Instituta  has  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  bast 
original  copy  avaiiabia  for  filming.  Faaturas  of  this 
copy  which  may  ba  bibiiographically  uniqua. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagas  in  tha 
raproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  changa 
tha  usual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chaclcad  balow. 


D 


D 
D 


D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couvarture  de  coulaur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagie 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^  at/ou  pelliculAe 


I      I   Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couvarture  manque 


[~~|    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  giographiques  an  coulaur 


□    Coloured  init  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

I      I    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
RalM  av9c  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  causa  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liura  serr^e  peut  causer  da  I'ombre  ou  da  la 
distortion  la  long  <i9  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutAas 
lors  d'una  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsqua  oela  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  AtA  filmAes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentalras  supplAmentaires: 


L'Instltut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplairv 
qu'il  lui  a  4tA  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  'Jviails 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  paut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibilographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normala  de  filmaga 
sont  indiqute  ci-dossous. 


T 
t 


D 
D 
D 
0 
D 
0 
D 

n 

D 
D 


Coloured  pagaa/ 
Pages  de  coulaur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagias 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  rastaurAas  at/ou  pelllculAes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  d6colortes,  tachattes  ou  piquias 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tachtes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qualiti  InAgala  de  I'lmprassion 

includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  material  suppMmantaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Saula  Mition  disponible 

Pagaa  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalamant  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  una  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  it*  fllm^es  A  nouveau  da  fapon  A 
obtanir  la  melllaura  image  possible. 


T 

P 
o 
fi 


C 
b 
tl 

s 
o 

fi 

si 
o 


Tl 
s! 

Tl 
w 

dl 
ei 
bi 

rl! 
re 


This  item  Is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ca  document  est  film*  au  taux  da  rMuction  indiqui  ci-daaaous. 


10X 

14X 

itx 

22X 

26X 

30X 

%^ 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  hare  has  baan  raproducad  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Library  of  tha  Pubiic 
Archives  of  Canada 

The  images  appeering  here  are  the  best  quaiity 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  Iteeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  peper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  iiluatratad  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  tha  symbol  ^^-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  ▼  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

IMapa,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


L'exempiaira  film*  f ut  reproduit  grflce  A  la 
ginirositA  da: 

La  bibliothdque  das  Archives 
publiques  du  Canada 

Las  images  suivantes  ont  At*  raproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin.  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattet*  de  l'exempiaira  film*,  at  en 
conformity  avec  las  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmaga. 

Lea  exemplairas  originaux  dont  la  couvarture  en 
papier  est  imprimte  sont  film«s  en  commen^ant 
par  la  premier  plat  at  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darnlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'iliustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  la  cas.  Tous  las  autres  exemplairas 
originaux  sont  filmte  en  C''nfimen9ant  par  la 
pramlAre  pege  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'iliustration  at  9n  terminant  par 
la  darniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  ia 
darnlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  salon  ia 
cas:  la  symbols  -«-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  ▼  signifie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmte  A  des  taux  da  reduction  diffArents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  §tra 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  film*  A  partir 
da  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  da  gauche  A  droite, 
at  de  haut  an  bas,  an  prenant  la  nombre 
d'imagas  nAcessaira.  Las  diagrammes  suivants 
iliustrant  la  m6thoda. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

TUB 


IMPORTANCE   OF   PROVIDING 


RELIGIOUS  EDUCATION  FOR  THE  POOR: 


CONNECTED    WITH 


THE  TRUE  PRINCIPLE  OF  ALL  CHRISTIAN  CHARITY. 


TWO    DISCOURSES, 


PREACHED    BY   REaUEST, 


IN   THE   CATHEDRAL   CHURCH   OF  QUEBEC, 


BEFORE  THE  QUEBEC  DIOCESAN  COMMITTEE,  OF  THE  SOCIETY 
FOR  PROMOTING  CHRISTIAN  KNOWLEDGE, 


ON   SUNDAY,   THE  TWENTY-FIP  TH    DAY  OP  OCTOBER, 


f 
l 

n 


1835. 


By  JOHN  H.   HOPKINS,   D.  D. 

Bishop  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  in  the  Diocese  of  Vermont. 


PUBLISHED  AT  THE  REaUEST  OF  THE  GENTLEMEN  OF  THE  VESTRY. 


BURLINGTON: 

SMITH   AND    HARRINGTON 

1835. 


DISCOURSE    I. 


Isaiah  xxxii,  17. 

Tho  work  of  riglitooiisncsi  ahall    be  peace  ;    and   the   effbct  of  riKhtoouin«M,    quiotnesi     and 
assurance  for  ever. 

To  an  Episcopalian  of  the  United  States,  my  brethren, 
who  looks  with  affectionate  veneration  to  the  parent  Church 
of  England,  a  formal  request  to  deliver  the  annual  discourse 
before  one  of  her  most  useful  Colonial  Societies,  is  a  cir- 
cumstance of  peculiar  interest.  And  when,  through  the 
friendly  agency  of  the  venerable  Archdeacon,  (who  is  the 
Rector  of  this  Church,  and  one  of  the  Vice-Presidents  of 
the  Society),  I  received  the  intelligence,  that  the  first  in- 
stance of  such  a  request  had  fallen  to  my  lot,  I  acknowledge 
that  I  hailed  it  as  a  new  pledge  of  that  kind  and  fraternal 
spirit,  which  had  been  extended  to  us  in  so  many  other 
forms,  before.  Personally  a  stranger  to  you  all,  I  was 
conscious  that  the  selection  was  chiefly  attributable  to 
the  fact  of  my  being  your  nearest  neighbour:  and  I 
accepted  the  invitation,  not  so  much  because  it  was  my  own 
individual  concern,  but  rather  because  I  viewed  it  as  an  act 
of  Christian  courtesy  to  the  Church  of  which  I  am  officer, 
and  which  I  wish  I  were  able  to  represent  on  this  occasion 
in  a  manner  moie  worthy  of  her  claims. 

But  the  place,  the  time,  and  the  office  which  I  bear, 
alike  forbid  tlie  work  of  apology  or  deprecation.  Such  as 
I  have  of  knowledge  and  of  skill,  I  give  unto  you  ;  and  if 
it  be  but  little,  the  blessing  of  God  upon  his  own  truth,  is 
able  to  make  it  prosper. 


My  first  object  shall  be  to  state  briefly  the  origin  and 
operations  of  the  Society,  on  behalf  of  which  I  appear 
before  you ;  and  secondly,  I  shall  shew,  from  the  language 
of  the  text,  the  motives  to  exertion  in  its  support. 

On  the  eighth  day  of  March,  1699,  Dr.  Thomas  Bray, 
and  four  other  excellent  men,  met  at  London,  under  the 
sanction  of  Bishop  Compton,  to  consult  upon  the  best 
method  of  promoting  Christian  knowledge  ;  and  formed  a 
litde  society  for  that  purpose.  In  a  few  years,  their  num- 
bers increased  so  greatly,  and  the  sphere  of  thair  opera- 
tions became  so  widely  extended,  that  it  was  found  neces- 
sary to  separate  the  institution  into  two  distinct  branches. 
One  of  these  was  incorporated  by  a  Charter  from  King 
WiUiam  the  Third,  under  the  name  of  the  Society  for  Pro- 
pagating the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  and  directed  its  ex- 
ertions to  the  establishment  of  Christian  ministers  in  the 
Colonies  of  North  America  and  the  other  Foreign  depen- 
dencies of  the  British  Empire.  These  exertions  were  blessed 
with  so  much  success,  that  the  Episcopal  Church  of  the 
United  States  may  be  truly  said  to  have  derived  its  exist- 
ence, and  the  Clergy  of  the  Dioceses  of  Canada  and  Nova 
Scotia  to  have  drawn  their  support,  mainly  from  the  zeal 
and  liberality  of  that  society. 

The  other  branch  of  the  original  Institution  retained  the 
name  of  the  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge, 
and  continued  to  prosecute  its  first  design  by  the  founda- 
tion and  encouragement  of  pubhc  Charity  Schools,  and 
by  the  distribution  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer,  the  Homilies  and  other  rehgious  books 
and  tracts,  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  the  Church 
of  England.  In  these  departments  of  benevolent  Chris- 
tian effort,  it  is  impossible  to  survey  without  astonishment 
the  vast  amount  of  good  they  have  effected. 

Within  the  first  half  century  they  had  established  two 
thousand  catechetical  schools   throughout  the  Kingdom, 


of  which  the  schools  of  London  alone  reckoned  5000  chil- 
dren. This  branch  of  their  labours  resulted  in  the  forma- 
tion of  the  great  National  Society  for  the  Education  of  the 
Poor  upon  the  principles  of  the  Church  of  England,  in  the 
year  181 1 :  and  the  number  of  children  now  receiving  edu- 
cation in  the  schools  of  that  society,  is  computed  at  almost 
one  million. 

The  other  branch  of  its  operations,  in  the  distribution  of 
the  Scriptures,  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  and  religious 
tracts,  hag  not  only  kept  pace  with  the  demand  created 
by  these  schools,  but  has  extended  its  blessings  to  the 
hospitals,  the  army,  the  navy,  the  prisons,  the  workhouses, 
and  even  to  the  Colonies  of  Great  Britain,  in  every  part  of 
the  globe.  In  the  prosecution  of  their  admirable  designs,  the 
Scriptures  and  the  devotional  forms  of  the  Church  have 
been  scattered  far  and  wide,  not  only  in  the  English  tongue, 
but  in  Danish,  in  Welsh,  in  Irish,  in  the  Manx  language,  in 
Gaelic,  in  Arabic,  and  in  several  dialects  of  the  Indian  empire. 

Their  zeal  however,  has  not  rested  here.  In  1710,  they 
took  up  the  Danish  Mission  at  Tranquebar,  then  languish- 
ing for  want  of  support :  and  under  their  auspices  it  was, 
that  the  celebrated  Swartz  laboured  for  fifty  years  with 
such  success  among  the  heathen.  His  converts  alone  were 
between  six  and  seven  thousand :  and  not  less  than  two 
hundred  congregations  were  established  by  their  other 
missionaries  in  Southern  India. 

Nor  is  this  all.  In  the  words  of  the  eloquent  Bishop 
of  Nova  Scotia,  "  Scarcely  a  settlement  can  be  found  in 
the  wide  forests  of  Nova  Scotia  or  New  Brunswick,  or  in 
the  Islands  of  Prince  Edward,  Newfoundland,  or  the  Bermu- 
das, where  some  of  their  treasure  is  not  deposited.  Many, 
very  many  pious  members  of  the  Church,  too,  in  those  dis- 
tant Colonies,  have  been  taught  to  look  to  the  society  as 
the  chief  source,  under  Providence,  of  sound  religious 
knowledge  and  improvement  for  themselves  and  their  chil- 


6 


(Iren  and  their  children's  children,  and  as  a  centre  and  bond 
of  union  lor  the  whole  British  Empire."* 

Of  this  admirable  Institution,  your  late  eminent  Bishop 
recommended  the  establishment  of  a  branch  or  committee 
lor  Quebec,  in  the  year  1818,  which  was  zealously  effected 
with  the   ready  co-operation  of  the  officers  of  the  Royal 
government,  and  the  active  aid  of  your  present  venerable 
and  exemplary  Diocesan.  And  since  that  period  you  have 
seen    commodious   buildings   erected   for  your    national 
schools,  you  have  witnessed  the  Christian  education  of 
children,  whose  numbers  amounted  at  the  period  of  your 
last  report,  to  no  less  than  5925,  you  have  attended  their 
examinations,  and  must  be  familiar  with  the  expressions  of 
deep  solicitude,  and  the  cares  of  personal  superintendence, 
by  which   your  excellent   Rector  and   your  other   clergy 
manifest   their  sense  of  the  importance   of   the   institu- 
tion.    But  yet,  I  am  instructed  to  say,  that   there  is  a 
positive  necessity  for  increased   liberality  and  effort,  es- 
pecially  in   the   maintenance   of  thjse   national   schools; 
since  otherwise  there  is  imminent   danger,  that   the  fu- 
ture  operations  of  the  society  will  be   clogged  with  em- 
barrassments and  difficulties  ;  the  current  of  good  will  be 
checked ;  and  the  comparison  of  what  might  and  ought  to 
have  been  done,  with  the  actual  result,  instead  of  filling  your 
hearts  hereafter  with  humble  thankfulness  for  the  blessing 
of   God   upon   your  labours,  will  depress   you  with  the 
feelings  of  disappointment  and  regret. 

2.  Let  me  then,  in  the  second  place,  ask  your  attention 
to  the  motives  which  should  arouse  your  best  efforts  in  the 
liberal  support  of  this  institution,  derived  from  the  principle 
of  the  text,  that  *  The  work  of  righteousness  shall  be  peace, 
and  the  effect  of  righteousness,  quietness  and  assurance 
for  ever.'  And  to  this  end  I  shall  pass  over,  for  the  present, 
the  more  enlarged  and  full  sense  of  the  passage,  and  con_ 

*:Pop  ih«  Kpport  of  llu«  Sociofy  for  le.ia. 


fine  myself  to  the  shewing,  that  upon  your  implanting  the 
principles  of  righteousness  in  the  minds  of  the  poor,  so 
far  as  you  have  ability,  may  depend,  under  God,  not  only 
their  peace  but  your  own;  as  it  respects,  first,  the  quietness 
and  assurance  of  government,  next,  your  social  comfort  in 
the  community,  and  lastly,  your  condition  in  the  judgment  of 
the  great  day. 

1 .  The  age  in  which  we  hve,  my  brethren,  is  full  of  iear- 
ful  warnings.  The  spirit  of  insubordination — of  revolution — 
of  the  overturn  of  all  most  sacred  and  most  dear — seems 
to  be  abroad  throughout  the  earth ;  and  the  instruments  of 
that  spirit,  every  where,  are  the  lower  orders  of  the  peo- 
ple. Excited  by  the  oratory  of  demagogues,  filled  with 
impracticable  notions  of  liberty  and  equality,  taught  to 
band  together  for  the  correction  of  alleged  abuses, 
ready  to  destroy  every  government  which  hesitates  to 
adopt  such  changes  as  may  please  the  popular  will,  and  en- 
couraged to  look  with  suspicious  jealousy  upon  their  supe- 
riors in  earthly  rank,  as  if  those  superiors  were  all  trying 
to  monopolize  their  rights,  and  trample  upon  their  privilc^- 
ges,  the  labouring  classes  of  every  community  exhibit  a 
growing  hostility  to  law  and  order,  which  the  arm  of  go- 
vernment cannot  always  repress,  and  which  can  only  be 
effectually  prevented  by  the  early  inculcation  of  sound 
religious  principle.  In  this  aspect  of  the  question,  there 
is  a  serious  difference  between  the  rich  and  the  poor,  in 
all  communities.  The  rich  may  be  destitute  of  piety, 
and  yet  be  the  friends  of  government  and  of  the  public 
peace;  because  they  have  usually  every  thing  to  lose  and 
nothing  to  gain  by  the  work  of  revolution.  But  if  the 
poor  hitve  no  rehgious  principle  to  guide  them,  they  are 
always  prepared  for  disturbance  and  commotion.  They 
have  no  property  which  they  fear  to  hazard.  They  have 
no  ties  of  pleasure,  or  of  fashion,  or  of  connexion,  or  of 
character,  or  of  worldly  honor,  or  of  refinement,  which  can 


8 


operate  in  tlie  absence  of  the  checks  of  conscience.  The 
(ear  of  the  law  is  easily  silenced  when  they  have  the  ap- 
pearance of  numbers  on  their  side ;  and  as  for  all  the  rest, 
the  chances  of  public  agitation  seem  rather  in  their  favor, 
for  they  have  nothing  to  lose,  and  in  the  general  wreck 
they  may  gain  something.  Plainly  then,  the  peace  of 
governments  demands  the  religious  training  of  the  poor. 
Make  them  Christians,  and  they  will  be,  on  principle,  lo- 
vers of  law  and  order.  Make  them  Christians,  and  you 
will  make  them  abhor  mobs  and  insurrections,  with  their 
horrid  accompaniments  of  oaths,  and  curses,  and  violence, 
and  blood.  The  Gospel  is  the  religion  of  peace.  It  in- 
culcates the  spirit  of  obedience  to  all  lawful  and  settled 
authority.  It  renders  the  poor  man  honest,  and  industri- 
ous, and  temperate, — the  lover  ot  his  home,  and  of  his 
Church,  and  of  his  Bible, — the  lover  of  his  country  and  of 
his  government,  and  of  mankind.  And  hence  in  this  re- 
spect it  might  be  truly  said,  that  *  The  work  of  righteous- 
ness is  peace,  and  the  effect  of  righteousness,  quietness 
and  assurance  for  ever.' 

2.  But  the  same  principle  applies  with  equal  force,  to 
the  social  comfort  of  every  community.  The  rich  and  the 
poor  are  bound  together  by  a  chain  of  positive  necessity, 
for  the  support  and  aid  of  each  other.  The  rich  could 
not  live  without  the  bodily  labour  of  the  poor.  The  poor 
could  not  live  without  the  mental  efforts  of  the  higher  class- 
es, and  the  wages  which  they  receive  for  their  own  labour. 
Hence  there  is  an  indispensable  connexion,  which  renders 
the  upri  ht  principles  of  the  poor  a  primary  element  in 
the  peace  and  safety  of  every  family.  If  servants  are 
destitute  of  religion,  where  is  the  guaranty  for  their  hon- 
esty, their  fidelity,  or  their  truth?  The  property  J  the 
higher  classes  is  entrusted  to  them.  They  attend  the  sick ; 
they  nurse  the  children  ;  they  look  after  and  reguiate  the 
concerns  of  every  household ;  and  if  they  are  false  or 


treacherous,  or  profligate,  or  [)roliiiie,  they  do  not  siiller 
alone,  but  poison  every  domestic  circle  around  them.  Il 
there  be  many  ol'  them  in  one  family  together,  without  the 
motives  of  religious  principle,  quarrels  and  strifes,  intrigues 
and  corruption,  disturb  the  peace  of  their  employers  as 
well  as  their  own  :  nor  is  it  possible  for  all  the  restraints 
of  interest  and  law  to  keep  them  in  the  track  of  duty,  if 
the  fear  of  God  and  the  sense  of  religious  obligation  be 
wanting.  Hence  we  see  how  large  a  mass  of  domestic 
trouble  grows  out  of  the  impiety  of  the  poor.  Locks  and 
bolts  to  guard  against  dishonesty — suspicious  watchfulness 
to  prevent  the  contamination  of  children  and  youth — and  a 
general  expression  of  distrust  and  dissatisfaction,  with  fre- 
quent and  painful  discipline  and  rebuke, — ail  does  not  suf- 
fice to  secure  family  peace  from  constant  invasion  :  and 
therefore  it  is,  that  a  thoroughly  good  servant  is  a  rare  jew- 
el, seldom  found  ;  and  when  found,  almost  invaluable. 

Now  it  is  manifest  that  this  fruitful  source  of  vexation 
and  disappointment  in  domestic  lile  would  be  cut  off,  if 
the  poor  were  faithfully  trained  in  the  principles  of  the 
Gospel.  Make  them  Christians,  and  locks  and  bolts,  and 
suspicion  and  watchfulness,  would  all  be  unnecessary  ;  be- 
cause a  far  higher  and  stronger  principle  would  govern 
them.  No  longer  eye  servants,  but  doing  for  you  as  they 
would  have  done  for  themselves, — affectionate  and  obedi-. 
ent,  attentive  and  punctual,  sober  and  self-denying, — pre- 
serving your  property  from  waste,  your  character  from 
detraction,  your  children  from  corruption,  and  your  tem- 
per from  provocation, — in  this  respect  also  it  would  be  found 
true,  that  *  The  work  of  righteousness  would  be  peace,  and 
the  effect  of  righteousness,  quietness  and  assurance  for 
ever.' 

3.  In  the  third  place,  however,  I  have  said  that  on  your 
implanting  the  principles  of  religion  in  the  minds  of  the 
poor,  according  to  your  ability,  depends,  under  God,  your 

9 


10 


^ 


I'  ' 


own  peace,  as  it  respects  your  condition  in  the  judgment 
of  the  great  day:  and  this  I  think  can  be  easily  demonstra- 
ted, from  ihe  inspired  declaration,  that  though  you  had  all 
faith,  so  that  you  could  remove  mountains,  and  yet  had  not 
charity,  you  would  be  nothing  in  the  estimation  of  God. 
The  blessed  Redeemer,  in  his  description  of  the  judgment, 
represents  the  accusation  brought  against  the  wicked,  in 
these  words :  *  I  was  hungry  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat,  I 
was  thirsty  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink,  I  Avas  a  stranger  and 
ye  took  me  not  in,  naked  and  ye  clothed  me  not,  sick  and 
in  prison  and  ye  visited  me  not.'  And  when  they  ask  him 
saying,  *  Lord  when  saw  we  thee  hungry,  or  thirsty,  or  na- 
ked, or  a  stranger,  or  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  did  not  minis- 
ter unto  thee,'  he  replies,  *  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch 
as  ye  did  it  not  to  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  did 
it  not  to  me.' 

Now  can  it  be  believed  that  the  Saviour  will  thus  con- 
demn the  neglectors  of  these  duties  of  charity  to  the  bo- 
dies of  men,  and  yet  not  punish  with  equal  severity  the 
neglect  of  a  still  higher  duty  to  their  souls  ?  If  we  are 
bound  to  supply  the  flesh  of  the  poor  with  food  convenient 
for  them,  are  w^e  not  equally  bound  to  supply  their  immor- 
tal spirits  with  the  bread  of  life  ?  Must  the  lips  of  the 
thirsty  receive  drink,  and  shall  the  soul  be  denied  the  wa- 
ters of  salvation  ?  Shall  the  nakedness  of  the  body  be 
covered,  and  the  nakedness  of  the  spirit  be  overlooked  or 
disregarded  1  Is  the  stranger  to  be  taken  into  a  house  of 
hospitahtyj  and  shall  those  who  are  aliens  to  the  common- 
wealth of  Israel  and  strangers  to  the  covenant  of  promise 
not  be  taken  into  the  Church  of  Christ  ?  Shall  the  sick- 
ness of  the  mortal  frame  be  relieved  with  medicine,  and 
shall  not  the  leprosy  of  sin  upon  the  soul  call  for  the  balm 
of  Gilead,  and  the  divine  Physician  there  ?  Shall  the  pris- 
oner in  an  earthly  dungeon  be  visited,  and  shall  not  those 
who  are  in  bondage  to  Satan  he  brought  into  the  glorious 


11 

liberty  of  the  children  of  God  1  Nay,  my  brethren,  it 
would  be  a  most  absurd  perversion  of  the  principle  of  the 
divine  judgment  to  think,  that  the  Lord  will  punish  the 
neglect  of  the  lesser  duties  to  our  fellow  creatures,  and 
yet  suffer  the  greatest  of  all  to  be  despised.  If  we  have 
not  the  spirit  of  Christ,  saith  the  Aposde,  *  we  are  none  of 
his,'  we  are  solemnly  bound  to  be  like-minded  with  him — to 
be  followers  of  his  steps, — to  walk  so  as  he  left  us  for  an 
ensample.  And  as  it  was  the  chief  business  of  his  bless- 
ed life  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor,  in  vain  may  we 
hope  for  his  approbation,  if  we  do  not,  according  to  our 
utmost  >ibility,  follow  him  in  the  same  work  of  mercy.  In 
this  respect  then,  in  a  far  more  eminent  and  important 
sense, — if  prosecuted  with  the  pure  aims  and  motives  of 
religion, — this  *  work  of  righteousness  would  be  peace  ;  and 
the  effect  of  righteousness,  quietness  and  assurance  for 
ever.' 

But  specially  imperative  is  this  application  of  our  subject 
when  we  remember  that  we  cannot  provide  effectually  for 
the  religious  education  of  the  poor,  without  setting  before 
them  the  light  of  a  Christian  example.  The  lower  orders 
of  our  fellow  men  look  to  the  higher  in  all  things.  The 
poor  ape  the  rich,  as  well  as  they  can,  in  sentiment,  in 
dress,  in  language,  in  manners,  in  pleasures,  and  in  the 
whole  economy  of  life.  And  how  should  it  be  otherwise, 
when  we  reflect  that  we  are  of  the  same  blood,  possessing 
a  common  nature ;  the  same  appetites,  passions,  faculties, 
belonging  equally  to  us  all.  So  long,  therefore,  as  the  rich 
are  dissipated  and  profligate,  lovers  of  pleasures,  more 
than  lovers  of  God,  we  can  expect  no  great  progress  of 
good  amongst  the  lower  orders  of  society.  If  the  master 
despises  and  laughs  at  the  restrp-'^ts  of  the  Gospel,  the 
man  will  do  the  same.  If  the  n.  ress  gives  her  heart 
to  personal  decoration,  and  her  hours  to  idle  reading, 
neglecting   the   Church,  and  preferring    the    society .  of 


12 


I*  * 


the  gay  and  thoughtless,  to  that  of  the  sober  and  the 
wise,  her  maid  will  copy  the  example.  There  was  a 
time  in  the  early  ages  of  Christianity,  when,  in  the  lan- 
guapje  of  prophecy,  Kings  were  the  nursing  fathers,  and 
Queens  the  nursing  mothers  of  the  Church.  The  famous 
Constantine,  the  first  Christian  Emperor  of  Rome,  had  a 
Chapel  in  his  palace ;  and  often  read  to  his  courtiers  from 
the  oracles  of  God.  Theodosius,  surnamed  the  Great, 
submitted  to  the  public  penance  imposed  by  Ambrose  of 
Milan,  and  gave  the  testimony  of  his  personal  obedience  to 
the  power  of  the  gospel.  And  Alfred  the  Great — perhaps  the 
brightest  name  in  English  story — translated  the  Scriptures 
into  Saxon  for  the  use  of  his  subjects ;  and  composed  hymns, 
like  another  David,  for  the  worship  of  that  Lord,  *  by  whom 
Kings  reign,  and  Princes  execute  judgment.'  O,  blessed 
would  be  the  transformation  throughout  all  lands,  if  the 
great,  and  the  wealthy,  and  the  powerful,  would  thus  set 
themselves  to  the  work  of  practically  exemplifying  the  ex- 
cellency of  the  Gospel.  Then,  National  Schools  for  the 
religious  education  of  the  poor  would  indeed  fulfil  the 
object  of  their  institution,  for  every  family  would  carry  on 
the  work  which  they  began,  and  cherish  the  seed  of  Chris- 
tian truth  until  it  brought  forth  fruit  fit  for  the  harvest. 
Then  the  spirit  of  discontent  and  insubordination,  of  faction 
and  intrigue,  of  impiety  and  ambition,  would  cease  to 
threaten  the  stability  of  the  throne  and  the  security  of 
the  altar.  Then  the  fearful  scourge  of  pestilence,  and  the 
horrors  of  war,  would  no  longer  desolate  *he  nations. 
Then  the  favorite  occupations  of  earth  would  tend  to  fit 
mankind  for  heaven :  affection,  and  confidence,  and  holiness, 
and  truth,  would  govern  all  the  relations  of  our  race :  *  the 
light  of  God's  countenance  would  shine  upon  us  ;  and  the 
work  of  righteousness  would,  indeed,  be  *  peace,  and  the 
effect  of  righteousness,  quietness  and  assurance  for  ever.' 
For  the  sake  then,  my  beloved  brethren,  of  every  interest 


13 


that  should  be  dear  to  your  hearts — as  patriots,  as  husbands, 
as  fathers,  as  Christians — cherish  the  Society  for  the  promo- 
tion of  Christian  knowledge, — do  your  share  of  the  great 
work,  so  much  required, — support  your  establishment  for 
the  religious  education  of  the  poor,  and  let  it  not  languish 
for  want  of  any  encouragement  or  assistance  which  you  are 
able  to  bestow.  The  objects  of  such  a  charity  are  ol  ines- 
timable worth.  These  children  are  the  future  men  and 
women  of  the  state.  Talents,  energies,  powers,  may  now 
lie  dormant  within  them,  which  shall  hereafter  prove  a 
blessing  or  a  curse  to  the  world,  according  to  their  present 
training.  It  is  not  for  me  to  say  what  destiny  may  be 
prepared  for  them  in  the  mysterious  Providence  of  that 
God,  who  often  works  such  wonders  by  the  humblest  in- 
struments. It  is  not  for  me  to  tell  the  consequences,  even 
to  your  posterity,  of  your  neglect  or  fulfilment  of  this  very 
duty.  But  be  all  this  as  it  may,  of  one  thing  we  are  cer- 
tain :  The  children  of  the  poor  are  immortal  beings ;  equal 
to  the  highest  of  our  race,  as  well  by  nature,  as  by  the  privi- 
leges of  redemption.  If  trained  up  to  piety  and  virtue,  they 
may  never  rise  to  any  earthly  honor,  but  they  shall  one 
day  stand  in  the  presence  of  the  King  of  kings.  If  conse- 
crated to  the  service  of  Christ,  they  may  never  rise  to  any 
earthly  rank,  but  they  will  one  day  be  crowned  with  a  dia- 
dem of  glory,  when  the  brief  distinctions,  the  fleeting  riches, 
the  empty  pomps  and  vanities  of  this  world,  shall  have  fled 
for  ever.  Think,  then,  I  beseech  you,  that  to  your  hand 
they  are  committeu.  Think  that  of  your  hand  they  will  be 
required.  And  do  on  this  and  every  similar  occasion,whatso- 
ever  you  shall  find  in  your  heart;  not  grudgingly,  nor  of  neces- 
sity; but  remembering  that  'the  Lord  loveth  a  cheerful  giver.' 
But  I  am  aware  that  in  the  views  of  many,  the  engrossing 
anxieties  which  cluster  round  the  exciting  crisis  of  Pub- 
lic affairs,  as  well  as  the  pressing  calls  of  private  ne- 
cessity, serve   as  a  sort  of  apology  for  neglecting  such 


14 


I  M 


charities  as  this.  Other  work  is  to  be  done,  far  more  im- 
portant— other  opinions  to  be  expressed,  far  more  inter- 
esting— other  duties  to  be  fulfilled,  which  will  brook  no 
delay.  Alas !  how  hard  we  find  it  to  practise  the  precept, 
*  Take  no  thought  for  the  morrow,  sufficient  unto  the  day  is 
the  evil  thereof.'  How  hard  to  trust  Providence  with  the 
government  of  nations ;  and  quietly,  in  humble  reliance  on 
his  wisdom  and  his  power,  to  go  on  fulfilling  cheerfully  and 
faithfully  our  own  circle  of  allotted  effort.  And  yet,  can 
we  resist  the  encroachments  of  misrule  and  disorder,  with- 
out the  Divine  blessing  7  Is  it  our  prerogative  to  rule  '  the 
raging  of  the  sea,  the  noise  of  his  waves,  or  the  madness 
of  the  people  V  Is  it  the  voice  of  poor  mortality,  though 
decked  in  all  the  greatness  of  this  world's  dominion,  that 
can  say  to  the  tumults  of  anarchy,  Peace,  be  still?  Nay, 
my  beloved  brethren,  after  all  we  can  do,  God  is  the  Ruler 
of  nations.  The  powers  that  be,  are  powers  only  because 
they  are  ordained  of  Him  who  is  the  source  of  all  power. 
And  if  ever  there  is  a  time  which  more  than  all  others  calls  for 
humiliation,  and  the  zealous  performance  of  every  Christian 
work  which  our  hand  can  find  to  do,  it  is  when  the  ele- 
ments of  the  social  world  are  in  danger,  and  the  moral  pes- 
tilence of  confusion  and  discord  is  abroad  throughout  the 
earth. 

May  you,  then,  my  brethren,  suffer  nothing  to  hinder 
your  partaking  in  this  and  every  other  labor  of  Christian 
beneficence.  May  that  blessed  Saviour,  without  whom 
nothing  is  strong,  nothing  holy,  inspire  you  with  such  zeal 
for  this  and  every  other  good  work,  that  in  the  last,  the 
final  day,  you  may  lift  up  your  heads  with  joy,  and  behold 
many  of  these  children,  saved  by  your  instrumentality,  and 
hear  them,  in  the  presence  of  an  assembled  universe,  in- 
voke blessings  on  your  name. 


Note. — The  author  is  perfectly  aware  that  the  principles  touched  upon  in  this  dis- 
course are  by  no  means  doveloped  nor  enforced  as  their  importance  deserves;  nor 


15 


was  it  his  own  opinion  that  so  alight  and  hasty  a  productiuii  merited  the  trouble  and 
cost  of  publication.  He  would  avail  himself,  however,  of  the  occasion  to  say,  that 
while  he  disclaims  all  reference  to  any  particular  system,  he  is  thoroughly  con. 
vinced  that  political  economy  will  never  be  understood,  until  National  Christutnity 
is  adopted,  as  its  fundamental  principle.  National  education,  if  not  sanctified  by 
religious  truth,  will  only  qualify  mankind  the  better  for  the  work  of  discord. 
Reforms  in  governments  will  be  worthless,  unless  some  better  mode  is  provided  for 
the  training  of  the  people  in  the  knowledge  and  love  of  the  Divine  Will :  and  no 
union  will  ever  preserve  national  prosperity  or  national  peace,  until  men  learn  to  b© 
united  in  the  service  of  the  Almighty. 


■J' 


DISCOURSE   II. 


hi'. 


n 


Mat.  XXV,  45. 

Verily  I  nay  unto  you,  inasmuch  as    ye  did    it    not  to  ono  of   the  leait  of  theie,  ye  did  i'  not 
to  me. 

It  has  pleased  the  directors  of  the  Society  in  whose  be- 
half, my  brethren,  your  liberality  was  exercised  this  morn- 
ing, to  request  that  such  as  were  not  then  present,  or  who 
were,  probably,  unprepared  for  the  collection,  might  have 
an  opportunity  to  contribute  on  this  occasion.  It  will  not 
be  expected,  however,  that  I  should  enter  again  on  the 
specific  objects  of  the  Society.  Leaving  these  to  your  own 
unbiassed  principles  and  feelings,  let  me  rather  apply  my- 
self to  the  higher  aim  of  instruction,  on  the  great  principle 
of  good  works  in  general,  which  is  to  regulate  the  final 
judgment  of  the  last  day.  The  ministers  of  Christ  may 
indeed,  lawfully  reiterate  their  plea,  for  any  object  of  Chris- 
tian benevolence  or  Christian  morality:  but  the  peculiar  end 
of  their  office  is  of  a  more  comprehensive  kind.  It  is  to 
implant  the  character  of  pure  and  undefiled  religion  in  the 
soul — to  explain  to  the  understanding  and  press  home 
upon  the  heart  the  true  influence  of  that  celestial  faith,  from 
which,  as  from  a  perennial  fountain,  all  charity  must  flow, 
if  it  would  claim  the  elevated  rank  of  Christian  virtue. 
May  the  Spirit  of  God  be  present  with  us,  that  we  may  set 
before  you  aright  the  exalted  standard  of  religious  obliga- 
tion, and  that  you  may  seek  to  attain  it  with  sincerity  and 
truth. 


17 


*  When  the  Son  of  man,*  saith  our  blessed  Saviour,  *  shall 
come  in  his  glory,  anu  all  the  holy  angels  with  him, 
then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory :  and  before 
him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations,  and  he  shall  separate  them 
one  from  another,  as  a  shepherd  divideth  his  sheep  from 
the  goats,  and  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on  his  right  hand,  but 
the  goats  on  the  left.  Then  shall  the  King  say  to  them  on 
his  right  hand.  Come  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the 
kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  beginning  of  the  world. 
For  I  was  an  hungred  and  ye  gave  me  meat :  I  was  thirsty 
and  ye  gave  me  drink :  I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  in : 
naked  and  ye  clothed  me :  I  was  sick  and  ye  visited  me  : 
I  was  in  prison  and  ye  came  unto  me.  Then  shall  the 
righteous  answer  him,  saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  an 
hungered  and  fed  thee,  or  thirsty  and  gave  thee  drink:  when 
saw  we  thee  a  stranger  and  took  thee  in,  or  naked  and 
clothed  thee  :  or  when  saw  we  thee  sick  and  in  prison,  and 
came  unto  thee  1  And  the  King  shall  answer  and  say  un- 
to them.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch  as  ye  have  done 
it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  have  done 
it  unto  me.' 

*  Then  shall  he  say  also  unto  them  on  the  left  hand, 
Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared 
for  the  devil  and  his  angels  :  for  I  was  an  hungered  and 
ye  gave  me  no  meat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no 
drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  not  in ;  naked, 
and  ye  clothed  me  not ;  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  ye  visited 
me  not.  Then  shall  they  also  answer  him,  saying.  Lord, 
when  saw  we  thee  an  hungered,  or  athirst,  or  a  stranger,  or 
naked,  or  sick  or  in  prison,  and  did  not  minister  unto  thee  ? 
Then  shall  he  answer  them  saying.  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye 
did  it  not  to  me.  And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting 
punishment,  but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal.* 

There  are  several  questions  here  involved,  worthy  of  our 


18 


consideration :  First,  how  is  it  that  we  hear  nothing  of  faith 
but  only  of  works,  in  this  representation  of  the  judgment  1 
Secondly,  how  is  it  that  Christ  himself  is  looked  upon  as 
the  party  interested,  whenever  we  assist  or  neglect  his 
people?  and,  thirdly,  how  shall  we  be  exposed  to  condem- 
nation, merely  for  omitting  a  certain  class  of  Christian  du- 
ties, rather  than  for  the  perpetration  of  gross  crimes  1  To 
each  of  these  we  shall  endeavour  to  give  a  satisfactory 
reply. 

1.  First,  then,  how  is  it  that  the  great  Redeemer  takes 
no  notice  of  faith  in  the  striking  and  important  detail  here 
given  us  ?  Was  it  not  himself  who  said  *  Whoso  believeth 
in  me  shall  not  perish,  but  shall  inherit  everlasting  life  ? 
Does  not  his  Apostle  expressly  tell  us,  that  salvation  is  of 
grace  through  faith,  and  not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should 
boast  7  Are  we  not  told  to  forsake  our  own  righteousness, 
which  is  of  the  law,  and  rely  solely  on  the  merits  of  Christ, 
who  is  made  of  God,  to  us,  righteousness  and  sanctification 
and  complete  redemption  ?  And  is  it  not  certain  that  jus- 
tification, by  faith  alone,  is  the  standing  article  of  belief, 
among  all  the  reformed  churches  ?  How  then,  is  it,  that  in 
this  most  interesting  passage  of  his  revealed  word,  we  read 
not  one  syllable  about  faith,  but  are  referred  to  works  alto- 
gether, as  the  decisive  test  of  our  title  to  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  1 

This  question,  my  brethren,  would  truly  present  to  us  a 
serious  difficulty,  if  it  were  not  for  one  circumstance  which 
is  all  important  to  the  proper  interpretation  of  the  passage. 
Observe,  then,  that  our  Lord  is  not  speaking  at  all  of  the 
general  performance  of  moral  duties  or  benevolent  actions 
to  mankind  at  large,  but  simply  of  those  duties  and  actions 
as  they  concern  him,  and  him  only.  He  does  not  say. 
Your  neighbour  was  hungry  and  ye  gave  him  meat ;  your 
fellow  creature  was  sick,  and  ye  visited  him  ;  but  he  says, 
I  was  hungry,  and  ye  gave  me  meat ;  I  was  sick,  and  ye 


19 

came  unto  me :  and  when  the  righteous  say  unto  him,  Lord, 
when  saw  we  thee,  in  this  condition  1  he  repHes,  If  ye  saw 
not  me,  yet  ye  saw  and  reheved  my  brethren,  for  my  sake ; 
not  my  creatures,  not  mankind  at  large,  but  my  brethren. 
Now  who  are  his  brethren,  we  learn  from  his  own  lips,  in 
a  very  remarkable  passage,  related  by  St.  Matthew,  when 
being  told  by  one  of  the  company  that  his  mother  and 
his  brethren  stood  without,  desiring  to  speak  with  him  ;  he 
answered  and  said,  *  Who  is  my  mother  and  who  are  my 
brethren  1  And  he  stretched  forth  his  hand  towards  his  dis- 
ciples, and  said,  Behold  my  mother  and  my  brethren :  for 
whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  my  Father  in  heaven,  the 
same  is  my  brother  and  sister  and  mother.' 

Precisely  parallel  is  the  passage  where  the  Saviour  saith, 
*  Whosoever  shall  give  to  one  of  you  a  cup  of  cold  water 
only,  because  ye  belong  to  Christ,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  he 
shall  in  no  wise  lose  his  reward,' and  again,*Hethat  receiveth 
you,  receiveth  n  e,  and  he  that  receiveth  me,  receiveth 
him  that  sent  me.' 

Now  with  this  clue,  we  shall  have  no  difficulty  in  dis- 
covering the  true  interpretation  of  the  principle  of  the 
judgment :  namely,  that  the  works  on  which  it  will  turn  are 
not  the  works  of  morality  nor  of  natural  benevolence,  but 
the  works  of  faith.  They  are  works  which  have  respect 
to  Christ  Jesus — works  done  for  him  and  to  him — if  not  to 
him  in  person,  yet  to  those  who  belong  to  him,  and  done 
because  they  belong  to  him,  that  is,  for  his  sake.  True, 
we  do  not  understand  by  this  that  it  is  not  the  Christian's 
duty  to  be  merciful,  compassionate,  and  charitable  to  all 
men.  So  far  from  it,  that  we  are  expressly  commanded  to 
be  kind,  even  to  the  unthankful  and  the  evil ;  and  St.  Paul, 
in  like  manner,  admonishes  us  to  do  good  unto  all  men, 
especially  to  the  household  of  faith.  But  these  are  not  the 
works  referred  to  in  the  passage  before  us.  On  the  con- 
trary the  limitation  is  clear ;  the  works  of  which  our  Lord 


20 


It 


1 1 

i 


» , 
ill 

KIT' 


speaks  are  works  conxected  with  himself;  and  that, so 
closely,  that  he  counts  them  as  done  to  him  in  person,  be- 
cause done  for  his  followers  in  his  name. 

This  being  understood,  we  proceed  to  answer  the  ques- 
tion, Why  is  faith  not  mentioned  as  the  ground  of  accep- 
tance, instead  of  works  ?     Because  our  Lord  intended  to 
guard  his  people  from  a  very  common  and  destructive 
error.     There  are  two  kinds  of  faith,  my  brethren,  a  dead 
faith,  and  a  hving  faith — a  false  and  a  true.     The  dead 
faith  produces  no  works.     The  living  faith  is  an  active 
principle,  for  it  works  by  love,  saith  the  Apostle ;  it  purifies 
the  heart ;  it  overcomes  the  world ;  it  is  the  good  seed  sown 
on  the  good  ground,  which  brings  forth  thirty,  sixty,  and 
an  hundred  fold.     Hence,  at  the  judgment,  our  Lord  puts 
the  great  and  final  decision,  not  on  faith  in  profession,  but 
on  faith  in  fact.     He  rests  not  on  the  faith  which  might  be 
shewn  without  works,  but  on  the  faith  which  was  shewn 
by  works ;  and  in  order  to  set  the  question  in  the  strongest 
light,  he  calls  tor  the  works  of  faith  at  once,  and  makes 
their  presence  or  their  absence  the  ground  of  his  sentence. 
The  same  principle  is  clearly  inculcated  in  other  places, 
where  the  general  judgment  is  called  the  harvest  of  the 
world.     For  although  every  husbandman  knows  that  it 
is  the  plant  which  produces  the  grain,  and  the  tree  which 
produces  the  fruit,  and  that  the  processes  of  ploughing,  and 
sowing,  and  grafting,  and  pruning,  and  watering,  together 
with  much  watchfulness  and  careful  cultivation,  must  be 
bestowed  on  the  plant  or  the  tree,  il  ever  he  would  expect 
to  see  the  harvest;  yet  when  that  time  arrives,  the  in- 
quiry is  not  for  plants  and  trees,  but  for  grain  and  fruit. 
The  plant  and  the  tree  are  hardly  named,  but  the  question 
is  solely  about  product.     The  field  which  produces,  is 
reaped ;  the  orchard  which  is  fiiiitful,  is  gathered  with  joy ; 
while  the  barren  and  untruitftil  are  condemned  and  forsa- 
Icen.     Now  in  the  things  of  God,  laith  is  the  plant — faith  is 


T 


21 


the  tree:  green  leaves  and  blossoms,  indeed,  look  well, 
and  promise  fairly,  and  they  may  represent  to  us  the  com- 
mon outside  of  a  religious  profession ;  but  good  works  are 
the  grain  and  the  fruit,  without  which,  plant,  tree,  leaves, 
and  blossoms,  are  all  worthless  and  unavailing.  There- 
fore, in  the  judgment — the  harvest  of  souls — Christ  speaks 
of  works  only,  not  because  it  is  possible  to  save  us  without 
a  living  faith,  but  because  the  only  unquestionable  mode  of 
proving  that  we  had  this  faith,  is  by  shewing  the  good 
works  produced  by  it. 

2.  Seeing,  then,  through  this  simple  analogy,  that  the 
passage  before  us  is  in  no  respect  inconsistent  with  the 
doctrine  of  salvation  by  grace,  through  faith,  but  rather 
confirms  it;  we  proceed,  in  the  second  place,  to  con- 
sider how  it  is  that  Christ  considers  himself  personally  in- 
terested, whenever  we  assist  or  neglect  his  people.  « Ve- 
rily I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the 
least  of  these,  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  not  to  me.'  Now 
this  is  easily  explained,  on  the  same  principle  with  one  of 
the  most  common  feelings  of  human  nature,  in  cases  of  fam- 
ily connexion,  or  strong  attachment,  or  even  in  the  union  of 
national  partiality. 

Thus,  for  instance,  suppose  my  child  to  be  in  danger  or 
in  want,  and  one  of  you  should  step  forward  to  protect 
or  relieve  him,  do  not  I  acknowledge  the  benefit,  as  if  it 
were  done  to  myself?  So  of  my  brother,  or  any  other  near 
and  dear  relation.  Again,  what  is  more  universal  than  to 
introduce  our  friends  by  letter,  to  strangers  at  a  distance, 
asking  their  kind  offices,  for  our  sakes ;  and  in  all  such 
cases,  are  not  the  acts  of  attention  or  benevolence  felt  by 
ourselves  as  a  personal  favor ;  do  not  we  say.  Inasmuch  as 
ye  did  it  to  this,  my  friend,  ye  did  unto  me  ?  Again,  con- 
sider the  character  gained  by  the  man,  who,  in  foreign 
lands,  exerts  himsell  to  shew  kindness  to  our  countrymen, 
though  they  may  be  personally  unknown  to  us.     Even  in 


22 


1 1 


■A 


ii' 


this  case,  do  we  not  find  our  hearts  drawn  to  him  ?  do  we 
not  I'eel  ready  to  say  to  such  an  one,  Inasmuch  as  thou  didst 
it  to  these,  my  countrymen,  thou  didst  it  unto  me  1  On 
the  other  hand,  let  our  child,  or  our  brother,  our  relation, 
our  friend,  or  our  countryman,  be  neglected,  injured,  or  op- 
pressed, and  who  does  not  understand  at  once  the  operation 
of  the  same  principle  1  Do  we  not  all  feel  it  as  a  personal 
wrong  1  Nay,  is  it  not  harder  to  pass  by  and  forgive  an 
injury  or  insult  offered  to  those  we  love,  than  if  it  had  been 
done  to  ourselves  alone?  And  where  is  the  heart  or 
tongue  in  such  a  case  that  is  not  prepared  to  adopt  the 
language  of  the  text,  and  say.  Inasmuch  as  thou  hast  done 
it  to  one  of  the  least  of  these,  thou  hast  done  it  unto  me  ? 
Here  then  is  a  simple  explanation  of  this  interesting  truth. 
Christ  Jesus  in  his  Divine  nature,  is  one  with  our  Father 
in  heaven.  The  benefits  conferred  on  his  children,  shall  he 
not  acknowledge?  the  neglects  and  wrongs  offered  to 
them,  shall  he  not  avenge  ?  Christ  Jesus,  in  his  human 
nature,  is  our  elder  brother,  the  head  of  the  whole  house- 
hold of  faith.  Can  we  be  aided  or  injured,  without  his  affec- 
tionate sympathy,  and  tender  concern  ?  Christ  Jesus  in 
both  natures,  is  the  Sovereign  Governor  of  his  Church ;  and 
can  we,  the  subjects  of  his  government,  be  protected  or 
oppressed  without  his  requital?  Shall  the  governments 
of  earth  be  more  just  and  watchful,  than  the  government 
of  heaven  ?  Manifesdy,  then,  my  brethren,  reason  demon- 
strates, and  even  nature  approves,  the  gracious  principle 
announced  in  the  text :  that  in  every  benefit  conferred,  in 
every  wrong  inflicted,  on  the  children,  the  brethren,  the 
subjects  of  Christ,  he  should  say,  '  Verily  inasmuch  as  ye 
did  it  unto  one  of  the  least  of  these,  ye  did  it  unto  me.' 

3.  We  come  now,  in  the  third  and  last  place,  to  consider 
Why  the  wicked  shall  be  rejected  in  the  great  judgment, 
not  so  much  for  what  they  have  done,  as  for  what  they 
have  neglected.     *  I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  no 


23 


meat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  mc  nc;  drink ;  naked, 
and  ye  clothed  me  not ;  a  stranger,  sick,  and  in  prison, 
and  ye  visited  me  not.'  Here  is  not  a  single  a^t  of  posi- 
tive crime  :  no  idolatry,  no  blasphemy,  no  Sabbath  break- 
ing, no  disobedience  to  parents,  no  murder,  no  adultery, 
no  theft,  no  perjury,  no  falsehood,  no  covetousness ;  but 
simply  and  merely  the  want  of  those  good  works  of  a  liv- 
ing faith,  which  Christ  commands,  is  set  forth  as  alone  suf- 
ficient for  our  eternal  condemnation.  A  more  solemn  truth 
can  no  where  be  found  than  this,  nor  one  which  merits  a 
more  practical  examination  from  all  who  bear  the  Chris- 
tian name.  Listen  then,  my  brethren,  while  we  endeavour 
to  shew  you  the  justice  and  necessity  of  such  a  sentence, 
un  the  grounds  of  the  precepts  and  the  example  of  the 
Saviour,  and  the  nature  of  heaven. 

First,  then,  let  it  be  observed,  that  the  table  of  the  ten 
Commandments  is  chiefly  concerned  with  forbidding  sin, 
and  was  not  designed  to  furnish,  except  by  necessary  im- 
plication, the  full  and  positive  rule  of  duty.  Hence  we 
see,  that  at  the  very  period  of  its  promulgation  to  the  Isra- 
elites, the  Lord  added  a  vast  number  of  other  precepts, 
shewing  them  what  they  should  do,  as  well  as  what  they 
should  not  do.  Of  these  precepts  our  great  Redeemer 
places  two  in  the  first  rank,  on  which  all  the  rest  depend. 
*  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and 
thy  neighbour  as  thyself.'  Now  this  love,  of  itself,  provides 
lor  the  whole  circle  of  duty.  *  Love  worketh  no  ill  to  his 
neighbour,' saith  the  Aposde,  *  there  fore,  love  is  the  fulfilling 
of  the  law.'  But  more  than  this  :  it  is  of  the  nature  of  love 
to  be  active,  busy,  and  anxious  to  please  and  to  serve  the 
object  beloved.  Thus  a  parent  loves  his  son:  is  he  content 
therefore  with  not  killing,  not  robbing,  not  slandering  his 
child  ?  and  when  he  abstains  from  positive  wrongs,  does  he 
think  that  he  has  done  his  duty?  Far  from  it.  If  he  com- 
mits any  actual  crime  against  his  offspring,  he  is  regarded 


>u 


24 


as  a  monster :  but  he  may  not  commit  any  snch  crime,  and 
yet  be  a  very  bad  and  worthless  parent  still.  And  how  so? 
Why,  simply  by  not  providing  for  his  child  as  he  ought  to 
do :  by  not  insti  ucting,  feeding,  clothing,  and  watching 
over  him  in  the  spirit  of  fatherly  affection.  These  things 
are  the  acts  of  love.  Every  kind,  friendly,  benevolent 
look,  word,  and  deed,  proceeds  more  or  less  from  the  same 
fountain :  and  the  precept  of  Christ  could  not  insist  more 
plainly  on  the  rendering  our  whole  hfe  one  round  of  active 
beneficence,  than  by  saying  *  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour 
as  thyself,'  or  as  it  is  expressed  elsewhere,  *  Whatsoever 
ye  would  that  others  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so  to 
them,  for  this  is  the  law  and  the  prophets.'  Now  there 
is  no  man  that  does  not  wish  to  be  beloved  by  those  around 
him  :  therefore  he  must  love  them  in  turn.  There  is  no 
man  who,  if  in  want,  from  hunger  and  thirst,  cold  or  na- 
kedness, would  not  wish  his  fellow  men  to  supply  his  ne- 
cessities :  therefore  he  must  supply  the  necessities  of 
others.  There  is  no  man  who  is  a  stranger,  that  does  not 
wish  to  receive  hospitality  ;  therefore  he  must  render  hos- 
pitality :  neither  is  there  any  who,  being  sick  or  in  prison, 
would  not  wish  to  be  visited  in  kindness:  therefore  let  him 
do  the  same.  Here,  then,  is  the  simple  principle  of  social 
obligation,  as  applied  to  the  world  around  us,  and  especially 
to  our  Christian  brethren,  by  the  express  command  of  the 
Redeemer ;  and  the  love  of  the  Lord,  on  a  sdll  higher 
scale  of  duty,  would  plainly  mingle  the  spirit  of  piety  with 
all  our  actions  towards  each  other.  If  v/e  loved  him  with 
all  our  hearts,  we  should  delight  to  commune  with  him  in 
prayer  and  praise.  If  we  loved  him  with  all  our  hearts,  we 
should  find  our  chief  pleasure  in  conforming  to  his  word 
and  his  will.  If  we  loved  him  with  all  our  hearts,  we 
should  count  no  sacrifice  great  that  he  demanded,  no  ser- 
vice irksome  which  he  required;  feeling  his  present  accept- 
ance and  his  futtire  favour  more  than  an  ample  reward  for 


f 


25 


hardships  greater  by  ten  thousand  fold  than  his  service  re- 
quires. Hov;  plain  then  is  it,  that  if,  at  the  h\st  day,  we  be 
found  not  to  have  performed  the  actions  ot"  kindness  and 
benevolence  towards  our  brethren  according  to  our  oppor- 
tunities, it  must  be  because  we  have  not  loved  either  Christ 
or  our  neighbour :  and  hence,  although  we  may  think 
that  we  have  done  no  positive  harm,  and  broken  none  of 
the  ten  Commandments,  is  it  not  manifest  that  we  shall 
have  hved  in  perfect  violation  of  the  two  greatest  Com- 
mandments of  all,  and  therefore  must  be  worthily  cast  out 
amongst  the  condemned  who  love  themselves  too  well  to 
feel  any  proper  love  either  towards  Christ  or  towards  each 
other. 

Equally  clear  is  this  point,  if  we  view  it  in  connex- 
ion w^ith  the  example  of  our  Saviour.  His  whole  mis- 
sion— his  mortal  Hfe,  his  miracles,  his  sufferings,  his  death, — 
all  exhibit  a  stupendous  and  almost  inconceivable  wonder 
of  love — love  unUmited,  perfect  and  divine.  He  taught 
the  ignorant,  fed  the  hungry,  healed  the  sick,  wept  with 
the  mourner,  and  continually  and  without  cessation  or  rest, 
went  about  doing  good.  He  lived  for  others,  not  for  himself. 
While  he  restored  to  others,  ease,  and  health,  and  earth- 
ly comfort,  he  wandered  without  a  place  to  lay  his  head, 
gave  his  back  to  the  smiters,  his  cheeks  to  them  that  buf- 
feted him,  his  temples  to  a  crown  of  thorns,  his  limbs  to 
chains,  his  soul  to  agony,  his  body  to  the  cross.  Now  we 
are  expressly  told  again  and  again,  that  if  we  would  be  his 
disciples,  we  must  follow  his  steps,  so  far  as  the  difference 
of  our  condition  and  circumstances  would  jusdfy.  At 
least  we  are  bound  to  live  for  others,  to  go  about  doing 
good,  to  sympathize  with  the  distressed,  to  feed  the  hun- 
gry, to  clothe  the  naked,  to  minister  to  the  sick,  to  visit 
the  widows  and  orphans  in  their  affliction,  and  to  keep  our- 
selves unspotted  from  the  world.  And  if  these  easiest 
and  most  obvious  parts  of  our  Lord's  example  be  aot  fol- 


26 


'i 


lowed, — if  we  refuse  to  look  unto  Jesus  the  Author  and 
Finisher  of  our  faith,  even  in  those  points  where  it  requires 
the  smallest  self-denial  to  imitate  him, — if  our  faith  cannot 
manifest  itself  even  by  these  works  which  are  the  most 
readily  performed, — how  can  we  lay  any  claim  to  his  great 
salvation  in  the  judgment  of  the  great  day  1  How  can  we 
escape  the  just  sentence  due  to  those  who  not  only  diso- 
'^^ey  the  precepts  of  the  Saviour,  but  disregard  his  example 
also? 

Still  more  conclusive,  however,  does  the  argument  appear 
to  my  mind,  when  we  look  at  the  nature  of  that  heaven 
which  Christ  died  to  obtain  for  his  people.  It  is  a  place 
of  holiness,  and  purity,  and  love.  The  glory  of  God  is 
the  light  of  it.  The  Redeemer  is  there  in  person,  to  lead 
his  followers  by  the  still  waters  and  pleasant  fountains  of 
the  river  of  life,  and  to  wipe  all  tears  from  their  eyes. 
The  Cherubim  and  Seraphim  are  there,  casting  their  crowns 
before  the  majesty  of  his  throne,  and  saying,  *Holy,  Holy, 
Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  art,  and  wast,  and  art  to 
come.'  The  multitude  of  the  angelic  hosts  are  there,  with 
harps  of  gold,  and  voices  of  celestial  harmony,  to  swell 
the  high  hosannah  of  holy  triumph  and  enrapturing  praise. 
The  spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect  are  there,  Abel,  and 
Enoch,  and  Noah,  and  Abraham,  and  Moses,  and  David, 
and  all  the  prophets,  and  apostles,  and  martyrs,  and  re- 
formers, and  confessors  of  the  faith,  all  the  holy  and  hum- 
ble men  of  he'^rt,  all  the  virgins,  and  matrons,  and  widows 
who  were  sahciified  in  spirit,  all  the  little  ones  in  Christ  who 
were  taken  during  infancy  out  of  this  world  of  danger,  all 
the  servants  and  follov^rers  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  united  in 
peace,  in  love,  in  happiness  and  glory.  And  is  there  any 
selfishness,  unkindness,  uncharitableness,  illiberality,  cov- 
etousness,  parsimony,  or  cold  hearted  insensibility,  to  be 
admitted  in  such  society  as  this  1  Can  two  walk  together 
if  they  be  not  agreed  1    And  can  we  walk  with  Christ,  and 


I 


27 


with  the  angels  and  saints  who  rejoice  to  do  his  will  with 
their  whole  heart,  unless  we  too  deliver  ourselves  without 
reserve  to  his  guidapce,  and  make  it  our  privilef^e  and  bliss 
to  follow  his  steps,  by  a  life  of  active  usefulness,  untiring 
beneficence,  and  Christian  afTection  1  Thus  then,  again, 
we  justify  the  sentence  of  the  last  day ;  and  clearly  see 
how  impossible  it  is,  from  the  very  nature  of  heaven,  that 
an  unchanged,  illiberal,  churlish,  uncharitable  soul,  can  ever 
be  received  there. 

From  all  this  you  may  readily  perceive,  my  brethren, 
how  erroneous  and  dangerous  is  the  common  notion  of 
the  world  and  worldly  Christians,  that  if  they  live  without 
any  gross  and  discreditable  criminality,  pay  their  debts, 
and  maintain  passable  characters  in  the  eyes  of  society, 
they  are  at  liberty  to  do  in  other  respects  as  they  please. 
No  opinion  can  be  more  false,  nor  more  utterly  opposed  to 
the  principles  of  the  Gospel.   '  Christ  died  for  us,'  saith  St. 
Paul,  *  that  we  might  henceforth  live  not  for  ourselves,  but 
for  him.'  And  *  By  this  we  know  that  we  have  passed  from 
death  unto  life,'  saith  St.  John,  *  because  we  love  the  breth- 
ren.'    If  then  we  would  have  a  hving  faith,  we  must  have 
that  which  shews  itself  by  works  of  continual  beneficence. 
*  We  must  not  be  weary  in  well  doing,  for  in  due  time  we 
shall  reap  if  we  faint  not.'  We  must  spend  and  be  spent  in  the 
service  of  Christ  and  his  people ;  we  must  remember  that 
we  are  not  our  own,  but  are  bought  with  a  price ;  and 
whether  we  eat  or  drink,  or  whatever  we  do,  we  should 
do  all  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  the   advantage  of  our 
brethren. 

But  some  of  you  will  say,  perhaps,  that  this  is  an  extra- 
vagant view  of  the  subject;  which,  carried  to  its  full  ex- 
tent, would  leave  us  no  time  to  attend  to  our  business  and 
our  families ;  n^ime  for  the  acquisition  of  literary  know- 
ledge, and  no  time  for  wholesome  recreation.  The  objec- 
tion is  plausible,  my  brethren,  but  it  is  not  correct.     The 


28 


II'  • 
il. 

»  i 

■■>! 


Gospel  itself  charges  us  to  be  not  slothful,  but  diligent  in 
business ;  yet  in  suchwise  that  we  may  be  also  *  fervent 
in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord.'  The  Gospel  commands  us  to 
take  care  of  our  families,  expressly  saying,  that  *  He  who 
provideth  not  for  his  own,  and  specially  for  those  of  his 
household,  hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  in- 
fidel.' The  Gospel  further  warrants,  and  indeed  demands 
as  large  a  stock  of  literary  knowledge  as  we  can  obtain, 
so  that  it  be  capable  of  a  useful,  religious,  and  moral  appli- 
cation. But  it  is  true  that  Christ  gives  no  encouragement 
to  the  waste  of  time  and  means,  in  the  perusal  of  that 
worse  than  idle  literature,  which  cannot  profit,  but  must 
inevitably  weaken  and  vitiate  the  mind.  It  is  true  that 
Christ  does  not  sanction  the  indulging  of  our  families  in 
luxury  and  extravagance,  while  his  houses  are  unfinished 
or  unpaid  for,  his  ministers  but  half  provided,  or  his  poor 
wanting  bread.  It  is  true  that  Christ  does  not  authorize 
his  servants  to  waste  their  evenings  and  their  property,  in 
profanity,  riot,  levity,  revelry,  and  noise,  while  there  are 
widows  to  comfort,  orphans  to  relieve,  sick  to  provide 
for,  or  any  other  good  work  to  perform,  within  the  reach 
of  means  and  leisure  to  accomphsh.  Yea,  it  is  true  that 
Christ  authorizes  nothing  which  we  cannot  justify  before 
his  final  tribunal, — nothing  which  his  example,  if  present, 
would  not  sanction-nothing  which  his  spirit,  which  is  pre- 
sent, would  not  approve.  A  better  and  simpler  rule  cannot 
be  laid  down  in  uninspired  language,  than  tLis :  that  the 
Christian  should  always  act  and  speak  as  in  the  sight  of 
God  ;  and  should  never  engage  in  any  occupation  whatever, 
on  which  he  cannot  ask  a  blessing. 

Remember  then,  my  beloved  brethren,  the  great  princi- 
ple of  the  text,  in  its  connexion  with  the  sentence  of  the 
last  day.  Have  you  faith  ?  See  that  it  1%  not  the  dead 
and  bairen  faith  of  the  worldling,  the  formalist,  or  the  hypo- 
crite ;  but  the  living  faith  which  produces  the  fruit  of  love 


29 


d 


and  good  works  towards  all  around  you.  Have  you  hope  1 
See  that  it  is  connected  with  zeal  for  the  service  of  the 
great  Redeemer,  and  with  those  Scriptural  evidences  of  its 
power  in  your  life  and  conversation,  which  shall  prove  its 
steadfastness  and  truth.  Have  you  charity  ?  See  that  it  does 
not  stint  itself  to  a  few  miserable  acts  of  alms-giving,  or 
a  few  forced  subsriptions,  bestowed  not  so  much  from  the 
love  of  God,  as  from  the  fear  of  man.  But  let  it  be  the  in- 
ternal motive  of  Christian  affec don,  supreme  towards  Christ 
and  warm  towards  his  people,  flowing  into  every  channel  of 
beneficence  with  constant  readiness,  and  anxious  to  promote 
every  good  work  to  the  glory  of  your  Lord.  True,  you 
cannot  merit  heaven  by  this.  Most  true,  that  your  salvation 
must  be  at  last  *  by  grace  through  faith ;'  and  that  the  only 
righteousness  on  which  you  can  rely  before  God,  must  be  the 
perfect  righteousness  of  your  Lord  and  Saviour.  But  then 
though  this  be  true, — though  alter  all  you  can  do,  you  will  still 
find  reason  to  mourn  over  the  hardness  of  your  heart  and  the 
coldness  of  your  affections,  and  be  forced  to  acknowledge 
yourselves  unprofitable  servants, — sdll  is  it  equally  true  that 
your  blessed  Redeemer  will  prosper  all  your  humble  efforts 
by  his  holy  Spirit — will  help  your  infirmities — will  kindly  re- 
cord every  one  of  your  works  of  faith  in  the  book  of  his 
remembrance,  and  count  it  done  to  himself,  in  the  presence 
of  angels  and  of  men. 

May  the  Lord  grant  you  grace  both  to  will  and  to  do  of 
his  good  pleasure.  May  no  sou)  amongst  you  ever  hear  ad- 
dressed to  him  the  awful  sentence  of  rejection:  *Departye 
cursed,  into  everlasdng  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his 
angels  ;  for  I  was  an  hungered  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat ; 
thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink ;  naked,  and  ye  cloth- 
ed me  not ;  a  stranger,  sick,  and  in  prison,  and  ye  visited 
me  not ;  for  veril||I  say  unto  you,  inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not 
to  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  not  to  me.* 


30 


But  may  Christ,  the  King  Eternal  and  Immortal,  welcome 
you  as  the  blessed  ot  his  Father,  and  give  you  the  Kingdom 
prepared  for  his  people  from  the  foundation  of  the  world ! 
And  now  to  God  the  Father,  th*^  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit, 
be  ascribed  all  honor,  power,  dominion,  glory,  and  praise, 
world  without  end.     Amen. 


ill 


4  Hi 


mmm 


elcome 
ngdom 
world ! 
Spirit, 
praise, 


